Burnout developers working on next Need for Speed 2010 game
Electronic Arts has revealed that Criterion Games, developers of Burnout, will be creating the next-next game in the Need for Speed franchise.
This newest title will release in 2010 and is not connected to the three currently in-development Need for Speed titles that have already been revealed (that would be Need for Speed: Shift, Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World Online).
“We’ve taken the Burnout team and combined it with our Need For Speed franchise,” Pleasants said at the conference according to G4tv.com. “So we now have that in our favor because that Burnout team is probably one of the more online-centric and notably high-quality game developers that we have out at Criterion.”
So what will happen to the Burnout franchise now that that game’s developer is in the Need for Speed camp?
We can only guess. But it’s possible that Criterion will continue to pump out new DLC for Burnout Paradise while developing this newest NFS game.
Via 1UP
No comments »Final Fantasy XIV Online wallpaper from concept art
One of the most surprising reveals of E3 2009 would definitely have to be Final Fantasy XIV Online, a game that no one thought was coming. Even though we knew another MMO was in the works and that it would be the follow-up to FFXI.
And although no gameplay footage was shown (at least, we think), the game definitely looked very pretty.
And it looks even more so in the game’s awesome and detailed concept art. Which makes for excellent desktop wallpaper. It’s drawn by artist Kazuya Takahashi. And here is an even larger high quality piece of the Final Fantasy XIV Online concept art wallpaper (warning, it’s a massive 3000 x 779 resolution).
The game is coming next year for PC and PS3.
And in case you missed it, here is the reveal trailer for the game.
Via Kotaku
The Sims 3 sells 1.4 million times in its first week
The Sims 3 is off to an astounding start. The PC sequel has sold 1.4 million copies in only its first week on store shelves; Further cementing the popular people simulation series as one to be reckoned with.
Those numbers mark the best-selling PC launch in EA’s history, if you can believe it. This is especially good news for the publisher given the fact that the game had appeared on piracy websites two weeks before its release. Regardless interest remained high in the game and its strong sales numbers reflect that. The sales numbers include both the PC and Mac SKUs.
Additionally EA announced that over 7 million downloadable pieces of player-created content have been recorded for the launch week. Also an incredibly high number.
“With more than a dozen press awards, strong reviewer scores and positive feedback from The Sims community, we are thrilled with the success of The Sims 3 launch and the early sales indicate that we have another hit on our hands,” said EA Play Label head Rod Humble.
“The volume of items created with The Sims 3 and downloaded online is a testament to how passionate The Sims players are. It’s their world now, we can’t wait to see everything players create and share.”
According to EA, the iPhone and iPod Touch version of The Sims 3 have seen similar success, reaching the number one spot in the Top Paid App list in the US within 18 hours.
“The game’s sales success along with its strong critical acclaim demonstrates that The Sims 3 mobile experience is a worldwide hit with our customers,” said EA Mobile VP of worldwide publishing Adam Sussman.
First Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier gameplay video
The dynamic duo return in Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, a new game developed by High Impact Games and releasing on PlayStation 2 and PSP this Fall.
Picking up from where the original Jak and Daxter trilogy left off, Jak and furry friend Daxter team up with their friend Kiera on her quest to become a Sage and save their world from the threat of darkness. As the environment of their planet slowly dies, our two worldly heroes embark on a mission to protect their world from the threat of “dark eco”.
As you can see in the E3 2009 trailer below, The Lost Frontier looks like it’ll take the series into traditional territory with the addition of shooter portions along with some nifty acrobatic and floating moves. Still looks like a lot of fun though.
Max Payne 3 detailed in latest Game Informer
Some new Max Payne 3 details have leaked from the latest issue of Game Informer magazine. which features Max Payne 3 as it’s cover story.
The game will apparently (if the leaked info is true, which it certainly seems to be) have titilur hero Max Payne living in the skids of Sao Paulo, Brazil where he is addicted to pain killers. These pills will apparently effect how the game plays. The game will naturally see the return of Bullet Time and include lots of battles with hoodlums within the slums of Brazil.
Graphically the game looks pretty good as you can see from the screenshot above, with comparisons to Uncharted 2. Rockstar is using a new animation system along with their RAGE engine and Game Informer notes that the game features “vibrant colors and fully destructible environments”.
Max Payne 3 is being developed by Rockstar Vancouver (instead of Remedy who developed the previous games) and will release this year for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Check here for Max Payne 3 scans.
New video game releases week 24, 2009
Here’s a list of this weeks game releases. The most popular titles are Ghostbusters: The Video Game on multiple platforms, Guitar Hero Smash Hits on multiple platforms, Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People on PC, and Let’s Tap on Wii. On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, Rainbow Islands, Let’s Catch, Space Harrier, Mario Calculator, Mario Clock, and Sam & Max Save the World, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers and Rocket Riot on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday), as well as America’s Army 3 on Steam (updates Wednesday), and Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year Edition on GameTap Gold (updates Thursday). No word yet on any PlayStation Network games (updates Thursday).
Monday:
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster - $8 (Wii Shop)
Let’s Catch - $10 (Wii Shop)
Mario Calculator - $2 (DSi Shop)
Mario Clock - $2 (DSi Shop)
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! - $8 (Wii Shop)
Space Harrier - $8 (Wii Shop)
Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People Collector’s DVD (PC)
Tuesday:
Agatha Christie: Peril at End House (PC)
Big League Sports: Summer (Wii, DS)
Black College Football Xperience (Xbox 360)
Defense Grid (PC)
Discovery Kids: Parrot Pals (DS)
Diva Girls: Divas on Ice (Wii, DS)
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues (DS)
Flower, Sun and Rain (DS)
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS)
Guitar Hero Smash Hits (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PS3)
Let’s Tap (Wii)
PDC Championships 2008 (Wii, PSP)
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again (Wii)
The Hardy Boys: The Perfect Crime (PC)
Vertigo (Wii)
Wednesday:
America’s Army 3 - free PC download (Steam)
Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Rocket Riot - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Sam & Max Save the World - $20 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Thursday:
Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year Edition (GameTap Gold)
Crackdown 2 has 4-player co-op in single-player mode
When Crackdown 2 was officially announced exclusively for Xbox 360 (due 2010) at E3 2009, we were promised by Microsoft it would “take multiplayer gaming to unprecedented levels for the ultimate cooperative and competitive multiplayer experience.”
But what exactly did they mean by that? It’s now been revealed (via Xbox.com) that Crackdown 2 will support up to four players cooperatively and up to 16 players in competitive modes!
Like the first Crackdown, the third person shooter open world sequel will see players controlling a super-human Agent assigned to take down crime in a sandbox city. With evil creatures now joining in on the fun too.
You can you see that here in the Crackdown 2 reveal trailer:
I’m not surprised they went with a heavy focus on multiplayer, online co-op was the best part of Crackdown 1.
New Quantum Theory shooter trailer shows gun- and swords-play
Tecmo’s Gears of War inspired third-person shooter Quantum Theory will be coming to PlayStation 3 exclusively in 2010.
In this hyper-real action-shooter game, players experience Syd and Filena’s adventurous ascent through a treacherous tower, presented in an art nouveau style world that is on the verge of becoming post-apocalyptic, which merges the beauty of organic motifs with technology and action-packed gameplay.
Quantum Theory’s main features are:
See Quantum Theory in action with gun- and swords-play in this new E3 2009 trailer.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box release date is August 24, 2009
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for DS is the sequel to Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the animated hit adventure title from Nintendo. Japan has had the series for quite a while but now finally the second installment is headed to America and will be released on August 24th.
In Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another mystery. It’s up to them to navigate their way through numerous puzzles to determine who – or what – caused the death of Professor Layton’s mentor, Dr. Schrader. Was it the mysterious Elysian Box, rumored to kill all who open it? Professor Layton and Luke find a clue that begins their adventure: a train ticket for the Molentary Express.
Key features of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box include:
Watch the first English trailer for the DS puzzle game:
Snapshot game, the SNES-like 2D platformer, shown at E3 2009’s Indiecade
At the Indiecade section of E3 2009 was a very interesting side-scrolling platformer called Snapshot.
True to its name, this Indie game developed by Kyle Pulver and Peter Jones uses photographs that the player can take of the environment to solve the game’s many puzzles. This could quite possibly be the new Braid.
You can take pictures of any part of the environment and then unleash the photographs at any other point on the screen. All kinds of objects in a level can be used, you can even take a picture of a door and move it to another spot, or stake multiple objects and take a picture of the entire stack. Certain parts of the stages will put limits on how many photos you can hold or where you can take pictures, etc. to make things more challenging.
See Snapshot in action in this trailer.
The game is currently on PC but will be coming to undecided platforms in the future.
Via Kotaku
